Burial-casket.



Patented July 9, |90l.

No. 678,348. C.\ B. NICHOLS. BURIAL GASKET. Application med my 4, 1901.;

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UNITED STATES APATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES B. NICHOLS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NICHOLAS A. KESTLER, OF SAME PLACE.

BU RlAL-CASKET.

SPEClFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,348, dated July 9,1901.

Application filed May 4, 1901. Serial No, 58.759. (No model.)

lTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, CHARLES B. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Gaskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to burial-caskets; and its object is to provide an article of this nature which shall be comparatively inexpensive and yet possess all of and other than the advantages of the metal casketthat is, I wish to rprovide a casket which shall be waterproof and at the same time indifferent to the corrosive salts of the soil so disastrous to metalfand which shall be durable and rigid both vertically and horizontally'. Furthermore, I desire to provide a coiiin which shall be light and which shall contain an antiseptic and a dehydratin g material, the former to de- -stroy or delay the action of bacteria resulting in the putriiication of the corpse and the latter to absorb the water and vapor arising from the corpse during the process of evaporation. With these objects in view I construct a casket such as is described in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure l is a plan view of the casket with the lid :removed and a portion of the usual cloth covering broken away, exposing the various elements used in its construction. Fig. 2 is an end view showing a portion in elevation and a portion in vertical transverse section with the lid in place, and Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a portion ot' the body of the coiiin in section.

Referring now to the drawings, my invention is formed in the same general shape as the caskets now in use, and it comprises the body of the casket, which is known as the box, as indicated by the numeral 2, and The for nier may be rectangular in shape, as is shown in Fig. 1, it may be rounded at one end, or it may be made in any suitable form, the particular shape being no portion of my invention. The top 3 conforms to the outline of the box, and it is supplied with the usual glass panel for about one-third of its length, as is indicated at 4.

The sides, ends, and bottom of the casket are each formed of a single slab cut to the desired shape and assembled to form the box. My invention rests particularly in the materials from which these slabs are made and in the manner in which they are constructed. As a base for each slab I employ what is commonly known as cellulose board, and this I arrange in layers, any number ot'which may be used; but in practice I preferto employ three layers, and throughout the following speciiication and claims I shall refer to this number.

The cellulose board which I prefer to employ is lformed of two layers of pasteboard, between which is a third layer of pasteboard, which latter is corrugated to form the cells or air-spaces. y

I first treat each of the three layers of cellulose board with a waxy antiseptic substance,

and for this purpose I place the antiseptic in a tank, Where it is heated to a liquid state. The cellulose board is then dipped into the antiseptic until its entire surface, both inside and outside, is coated. The board is then removed and allowed to drain, so that the antiseptic will iiow from the cells therein and prevent their becoming completely lled. The three layers ot board are then brought together, with the cells of the inner one extending horizontally, as shown at 5, and those of the outer ones extending vertically at right angles, as shown at 6, and in this position they are held until the waxy antiseptic becomes cool, causing the layersot board to adhere firmly together. I then treat a sheet of wood sultlte 7 with the antiseptic in the same manner, and this I place upon the outer face of one of the layers of cellulose board, where it is irmly held after the antiseptic is cold. Upon this I place a covering of fabric, also saturated with antiseptic and held in place in the same manner as the other elements, and this I give a coating of waterproof paint. WVhen the slabs are thus prepared, they are cut to the required shape and assembled, with the painted sides outermost, being held in position by the waxy antiseptic, aquantity of which in a liquid state is poured between and upon the meeting edges.

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The box proper being now completed, itis but necessary to give it additional rigidity, which I accomplish by means of interior longitudinal braces 9, 10, and 1l, arranged at opposite sides of the casket, the braces 9 being located at the top, the braces 10 being centrally located, and the braces 11 resting upon the bottom 12. In each corner of the casket I place a vertical brace 30, which braces connect the ends of those arranged horizontally, and across the end of the casket I also arrange horizontal braces 3l, 32, and 33. In addition to these braces I provide exterior braces 13, 14, and l5, arranged longitudinally and opposite the braces 9, lO, and 11, respectively. The braces 13 and l5 may be of ornamental molding, and to the central braces 14 are attached handles 16.- Beneath the box and opposite the braces 11 are braces 17, connected by transverse braces 18. When the braces have been thus adjusted, the entire interior of the box is coated with the waxy antiseptic, filling all crevices and coating the heads of the screws, (he. The box is now prepared to receive its usual covering of broadcloth or other outside finish 20, attached by cement 2l; but before this is applied, however, the upper edges of the sides and ends of the box are grooved, as shown at 22.

To absorb the water-vapor arising from the corpse during the process of evaporation, I line the sides and ends of the box with absorbent cotton, and this I usually arrange between layers of fabric having a large mesh, such as cheese-cloth or the like, the absorbent and the cloth being held together by stitching and the latter being attached to the braces 9 and 31 at its upper edge. Before applying the absorbent, however, I impregnate it with a dry antiseptic, which will be dissolved by the water-vapor arising from the corpse and which will destroy or delay the action of bacteria resulting from the putrification of the corpse.

The lid of the casket should conform to the box in general-outline, and it should also be made up of cellulous board, Wood suliite, and fabric treated as described, the several elements being disposed in horizontal planes. To the outer face of the lid is attached an ornamental strip of molding, or the cellulous board and other elements may be curved to present a neat and ornamental appearance. A glass or other suitable transparent panel is cemented into the lid for a portion of its length, and to the lower edge of the lid, at the sides and ends, strips 24 are attached, each having a downwardly-projecting rib 25, adapted to rest within the groove 22. The lid may also be given a nishing-covering of cloth or other suitable material. When the lid is finally adjusted in position, the groove 22 is filled with the waxy antiseptic in a liquid state, and when the lid 25 falls therewithin and the substance becomes cold and solid the casket is hermetically sealed.

It will be readily seen that a casket constructed as above described will be entirely water-tight, owing to the presence of the waxy antiseptic, which is itself waterproof, over the entire surface of the casket and in the joints of the several slabs. The casket will also be very durable, also on account of the waxy antiseptic, and itwill be light, owing to the materials from which it is made.

It will of course be understood that I may apply my invention to caskets other than those used for burial purposes-as, for instance, receptacles for clothing or, in fact, anything requiring a water-tight and poisonous casing.

What is claimed is- 1. Aburial-casket formed of a series of layers, each layer being treated with a waxy antiseptic, through the medium of which the layers are held together, a number of the layers being corrugated resulting in air-spaces between the layers adjacent the said corrugated layers.

2. A burial-casket formed of a series of layers, each layer being treated with a waxy antiseptic, through the medium of which the layers are held together, a number of the layers being corrugated, a portion of said corrugated layers being arranged with their corrugations at an angle to those of the remaining corrugated layers.

3. A burial-casket formed of a series of layers, each layer being treated with a waxy antiseptic, through the medium of which the layers are held together, a number of the layers being corrugated, a portion of the corrugated layers being arranged with their corrugations at an angle to those of the remaining corrugated layers, and an absorbent suspended within the casket, between layers of fabric, the absorbent containing a dry antiseptic, soluble in the moisture arising from the corpse during evaporation, which, when in solution, will kill disease germs within the casket.

4. A burial-casket formed of a series of layers of pasteboard, each layer being treated with a waxy antiseptic, through the medium of which the layers are held together, a uumber of the layers being corrugated, a portion of said corrugated layers being arranged with their corrugationsat an angle to those of the remaining corrugated layers,a layer of wood sulfite upon the layers of pasteboard and a layer of fabric upon the layer of wood sulfite, said layers of wood sulite and fabric being also coated with the waxy antiseptic, through the medium of which they are heldin position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on the 4th day of May, 1901.

CHARLES B. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

N. A. KEsrLER, HORACE C. CHANDLER.

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